Forever in Never Neverland
by Trissica
Summary: To say that the story ends as Wendy watched Peter fly away would be a lie, the adventures continue for the boy that never dreamed of growing up. For what troubles adults could never trouble child. But feeling... well that's another matter entirely.
1. Chapter 1

**The window that will always remain open**

Most windows, when the nights were growing colder and the sow fell down from the sky, are shut, barred away to keep out the cold. But here is one house, along the corner, not far from the schoolyard and the bank, is a quaint house that has one window that remains open all year. If someone walked up and inquired about it, to any of the children, they would smile as if looking back on a fond memory and say, "He shall always be welcome should he ever want to come and listen to more of Wendy's stories. After all, they are always about him." And then the child would leave them, because what bothers an adult could never trouble a child.

The night that the children of the Darling household had disappeared from the gossiping lips of their neighbors and had fallen away completely forgotten because the world moves on with the adults of the world that could not slow down. But for the children, all nine of the Darling children could never forget their adventures there.

Late at night when the lamplights were lit and the stars glowed in the sky, each child would fly back to the land where a boy that would never grow up waited for them. A smile on his face and an adventure in his eyes; no matter how old they grew or the adults of the world tried to change them, those that were caught up in the world of Neverland could never leave it completely behind even as they grew up like all children do.

Yet no matter how many years went by or the weather that crept into their room, the window would always remain open, hoping that one night the faint tinkle of a bell and the laughter of one fearless boy would come back to them and offer up adventures once again.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Responsibilities of an Adult**

The young man before her was quite ghastly, one that was worthy of being a dirty pirate. His hair was greased back with eyes as dark as the muddy roads that the girl walked along on rainy days. Apparently his form of entertainment was to consume as many biscuits as possible and then flick the crumbs across the room with his index fingers while drumming his other hand along the side table. But most importantly of all there was no adventure in his eyes, simply a dulled look in his eyes of an adult that never dreamed.

This certainly wasn't the man Wendy Darling had hoped would want to court her. But like any proper young lady, as Aunt Millicent had strictly enforced, she must not show too much emotion; if the conversation was dulling then change it by bringing up small talk and if one does not particularly like the way the conversation has headed simply smile and nod your head. But Wendy had never been one to sit around and have another take charge. However Aunt Millicent had kept a sharp eye on her because the last few young men that had come to their doorstep had left fuming by the young girl.

Aunt Millicent coughed, the conversation had grown quiet, not acceptable for a young lady to let happen in her household. But Wendy couldn't help it, "What books have you read?" she asked.

Thankfully he stopped flicking the crumbs long enough to look at her, "Read?" his tone was of utter disbelief and then frowned, "Well if we must take about books then I would assume that you've read the work by William Shakespeare? Romeo and Juliet I would imagine."

"Of course I have and the work itself was tragic." Wendy waved her hand dismissively.

"Well of course it was tragic. Two lovers dying so that they would not be separated, the whole concept is one that ends in tragedy."

But Wendy smiled, the knowing of what was to come already amusing her. "Oh, of course that is tragic, but I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about the way they themselves acted. The foolishness of it all."

"Foolishness?"

Aunt Millicent laughed nervously, hoping to deter the conversation into another direction with a plate of tea sandwiches. But Wendy continued on, "Well they had only met. Romeo's thoughts had been on another woman before he laid eyes on Juliet. And after that they married only after a few days of knowing one another! True they may have actually loved each other, but to give up everything after knowing each other for only a little while is completely cruel. Foolish! Things are so much more complicated than that. And Juliet! That girl seemed to have no thoughts of her own; she simply fell into the romance of it all."

The young man frowned even deeper until the girl was sure that his lower lip would touch his insanely long chin, but the poor fool tried to laugh it off, "Fell into it? You make it sound as if she had no say in the matter. Aren't girls the ones that are for the romance of it all?"

"There is truth that she had say in it. After all she could have stayed behind and not follow him. But it was Juliet that made a decision in the end, she was the first to give up everything all for the sake of a boy named Peter!"

"Peter?"

"Well I say, this has been quite a nice visit, but unfortunately Wendy has her studies to attend to and that is no place to have a young man around. But I do hope that you will visit again sometime." Her mother had come into the room at that moment.

Mrs. Darling was a rather extraordinary woman, like the rest of her children she had not forgotten the night that her first three had disappeared that night, her children had come back different. They had come back with the smell of adventure and different life. Things that they had once sheltered away from now stepped forward without the childish fear gripping at them. In some ways they had grown up more in those days then it would take a child in years. Yet at the same time there was a younger childish gleam in their eyes. And then there was Wendy.

Only hours after her hidden kiss had been discovered she had disappeared and when her children had returned Mrs. Darling was sure that Wendy had changed, she had already experienced what some may never have the chance to. She had only been a child.

There were things that Mrs. Darling knew, things that even her daughter could not quite figure out. There was always that knowing smile, that comforting glance that appearance whenever her Aunt had tried to find another eligible young man for the Darling name. But when Mrs. Darling was clearing away the tea and Aunt Millicent encouraging the young man for another visit, she watched her daughter's eyes and found that look at trouble a mother. That distant aching look, one that happened when one was truly lonely.

"Wendy Myra-Angela Darling! I have no idea where in the stars you shall find a suitable match if you keep being so difficult! Had I not said that there is nothing as difficult as marrying a novelist? Yet, here you are 17 and there is no man courting after you. If you are not careful I fear that you shall not find a husband at all." Aunt Millicent sighed, folding into the armchair as if she could no longer support herself.

"And what if I don't? Shall I be thrown out onto the streets?"

"Wendy! Oh, you mustn't say that. You know that we only want you to be happy dear." Her mother tried to soothe her. "I'm sure that the right one will come along if you are just be patient."

But her aunt would hear none of it, "At 17 Wendy shouldn't be thinking of finding a suitor at all, instead she should be sorting through the ones that lining up at the door!"

"Aunt Millicent, now there are plenty of other girls that are in Wendy's position." Mrs. Darling tried to pacify the fuming woman.

But Wendy was no longer paying attention; her eyes had gazed upward toward the sky and even though she could not see it in the light she knew without any doubt, to the right was the star that led on beyond the sun and to the adventures she had such a life time ago. But as soon as the light disappeared and the moon came out to play she would be able to see that one star and perchance see the small glimmer from Neverland.

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><p>Few would know about the world above their windows, the one where the rooftops become the playground and the clouds seem to dance just above the fingertips. But of course adults rarely look up above their heads, the world that they created keeps on moving and they've only barely glanced<p>

But perhaps if one were to look up and see the chimney smoke dance up into the sky they might notice a young man that played along the rooftops with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes.

The young man bit into his apple, ignoring the juices that ran down his skin and grimaced, these apples were nothing compared to the ones that were kissed by the sun and kept fresh by the frost of the snow all at the same time. For only those apples were the sweetest tasting ones that could exist.

Dissatisfied he chucked it over the side careless that it had knocked a man over on the head. And as much as the man below on the streets of London wished that he could find the culprit the boy was already gone, hiding in the night sky because he was watching for his Wendy.

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><p><em>So what do you all think? Do you like it? R&amp;R please let me know! If you haven't already guessed I am very nerdy about Peter pan and have loved the idea of him. One of my favorite versions was the one form 2003 which inspired this fanfic! I hope that you enjoy and let me know what you think.<em>

_Til Next time!_

_~Triss_


	3. Chapter 3

**A Noise at the Window**

Wendy had resigned herself to her room, the day had worn on and the world around her grew dull, in this world her dreams were the only adventures that she had now. The life of a grown-up was far more complicated then Wendy had dared to imagine when she was younger. A bit more foolish as well.

Aunt Millicent had been cross with the girl, "A novelist is not thought of in high good society, and there is nothing so difficult to marry Wendy, if you keep bringing up novels in discussion you shall never find a suitor who will provide for you!" Her aunt pursed her lips not bothering to touch on the subject anymore then she already had. If it wasn't for mother Wendy would have been sure that Aunt Millicent would have continued on. Wendy couldn't be cross with her for long though, her son Slightly, had left overseas to see the new world of America, hoping to be able to create a new import and export through London. She missed him so much that she had consumed the majority of her time to the Darling household training Wendy to become a suitable young woman for the suitors that seemed to arrive at the household almost everyday.

Even though it was night the house had grown so much quieter since many of the boys had left the house. John had gone off to study the finer working of the banks, even more so then Father did when he had been the same age. Nibbs and Tootles had joined up with the army of London. On the day that they had left the Darling household Wendy, teary eyed and worried (As she had once been their very own mother) had asked them why they were leaving. Nibbs smiles at her, for even London and the lives of adults could never take away the lost boy within him, and said it was the closest thing to the adventures in Neverland as he could ever have. "It can be the lost boys vs. the pirates once again."

The other boys remained in the nursery, but without their eldest brothers their dreams and imaginations were no longer told in stories out loud. Only through whispered lips because as much as they had been the ones that created the silence, there was an unspoken fear of breaking it as well. It was if the house was waiting for the ones that left to return home safe and sound.

In the beginning the boys begged her to tell her stories, the ones of pirates and the adventures of their hero. And at first she did, Wendy told the stories of how Peter Pan had single handedly defeated multiple plans that the pirates had, saving Tiger Lily and the fairy tales as Peter himself saw them; ones filled with sword fights and adventures. But even her adventures couldn't appease their dreams of adventures again. For once you had a true taste, dreams can only take you so far before you begin to realize that they are no longer the same.

Wendy lay there, staring up at the ceiling. The small window casting a faint gleam of moonlight over her covers, it was the only light she had in this room. She was too old for the lamplights to be lit and her room had only small windows, not big enough for any person to fit through. The young girl would have preferred to stay in that room, but the rules of the grown up world forbade it, so she had to leave the nursery. She said good-bye to the toys and the ceiling of clouds; she shut her dolls in a box and placed them in a drawer. She hadn't yet been able to open that box yet. Her sword lay hidden under her bed, the one of few secrets that she kept from her parents, as well as the nightgown from her adventures in another world. All those journeys were tucked away and kept hidden.

She only had one light, a large candle by her nightstand to cast just enough for her to sneak a book so that her imagination wasn't too far from her grasp. The book she had managed to grab was _Alice and Wonderland_ a book that seemed to have been inspired by Neverland. Briefly she wondered if the author had ever had the chance to glance Neverland for himself. It seemed as though his world was based off of the one Wendy had grown to love.

This was her favorite part of the day, one where the world had already started to sleep and dream itself into their perfect worlds. The world outside was a quiet lull and there was no one to distract her from leaving it for a little while to travel somewhere knew.

* * *

><p>Poor Alice.<p>

At the moment the young girl stood trial against the Queen of Hearts, either she was deemed to be guilty or innocent, but the poor girl had no hope of being granted innocence. Alice stood there timid, afraid of the verdict as the Queen's face began to turn a bright red from shouting. Her verdict, her decision, not even the jury could say anything on their own. The Red Queen made Alice guilty.

There were things about Alice that Wendy liked, one of them being that way that the girl was so inquisitive about the world, she questioned everything around her. Something that was supposed to be better left locked behind a young girl's lips. Wendy was someone who seemed to enjoy constantly breaking this rule. But there were things about Alice that bothered Wendy as well. The fact that the girl had just stood there and waited trial didn't seem right. She knew her innocence yet kept silent as the Queen made her decision, Alice didn't fight back or voice that the queen was wrong. That was something that Peter would never do.

Wendy sighed and placed the book on her nightstand; yes, standing there and waiting for something to happen was certainly not Peter Pan. The boy would have flown forward, sword drawn, ready to battle the Queen and her deck of hearts. He would caw like a rooster and laugh in a care free way like it was all fun and games.

"Peter would have certainly showed that old Queen a thing or two." She said to the elderly St. Bernard.

Nana, who really no longer needed to be full time nurse had resolved herself to be Wendy's personal bodyguard from terrible suitors, as well as a judge of character, now laid down by the foot of Wendy's bed. "Poor Nana, you must be tired after chasing away all those men." Wendy consoled her dear friend, but the dog's only response was a huff from dreary sleep. Yet Wendy continued on, the stories always seemed to flow from her mind whether there was someone there to listen to them. They were all about him.

"If Wonderland was a place that Peter could fly to it would be a far different place. For instance there would be no need for time! The poor white rabbit would be out of a job I suppose, after all Neverland never thinks about time, Peter certainly doesn't, and the Red Queen would certainly not be in charge of anything!"

Unable to stop herself Wendy threw off the covers, the dream—the story already taking hold, daring her not to let go!

"The moment he arrived in Wonderland Peter laughed at the prospect of the new adventures that awaited him, the trouble that he would get into. One of his tasks was to have stolen the Red Queen's most prized possession, _The Ruby Heart of Hearts_! The most glorious treasure in all the land! The only one that would know would have been the Caterpillar…. No but he is far too much of an adult for Peter Pan to even converse with, much to boring and dull for someone like Peter!" Wendy jumped down from her bed, pulling up the weary eyed furry face to her own, " Unfortunately for you Nana, the only other creature that knew of the ruby's whereabouts was the Chester Cat! The one who's smile remained even after the rest of his body disappeared into the night. The only way for the Chester to find you is if he would want to be found. Now that was the hardest part of the quest, for you see Peter never had the trouble of not being able to find someone! But the Chester Cat was someone who would show himself only when he wanted to be found, never before! Peter had to make the Chester Cat notice him, but how?"

Wendy paused unsure of the next moment. How would Peter make the Chester Cat notice him? The story broke and Wendy found herself barefooted in the middle of her bedroom, her hands high in the air as if she was traveling there to Wonderland herself. Slowly she lowered her arms, a foolish idea. Even if Wonderland were even possible she had long ago forgotten to fly, not because she had wanted to, but because when you spend most of your days waiting for spring to come they become very lonely. Then he misses one time, so you have to wait another year fearing that maybe the last time had truly been the last. Wendy woke one morning to realize that she no longer remembered how to fly, knowing that the pixie dust had long since wore off and the happy thoughts were no longer pure ones that could make a child happy… Wendy no longer had her teacher; she no longer had a way back to her Neverland.

Nana whined by her feet, the old nurse knowing when their young charge was in distress. The girl sighed, "Oh Nana, perhaps Aunt Millicent is right, perhaps it is time to give up on stories. After all I've only had one adventure which is certainly not enough for a great novel in three parts." A sad smile painted itself across her face, "And I would imagine that a certain boy has long forgotten about me—"

A bang happened against the window, a small crack burning across the glass. For a brief moment everything grew quiet until Nana began to bark up at the window. There was a glimmer of something, something not quite hope, but not enough to let it completely take over her dreams again.

As quick as possible she dashed outside, grabbing a candle and lighting the way down the stairs out into night. But there was no body, no boy at the window either. Wendy cast her eyes towards the sky, there was no small bright light that sand with bells as it flew or even clouds for someone to always to sleep lay in. There was no one there. And Wendy didn't know if that disappointed her more or not.

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><p><em><strong>Hi everyone!<strong>_

_**So what do you think? Please let me know what you liked, what you didn't like. I want to know R&R please!**_

_**The next chapter will be out soon, sorry that it took so long to bring out this one, the next one will be out much faster. I promise **_

_**Till next time!**_

_**~Triss**_


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! Sorry it took so long to post this next part, been very busy with classes, projects have come up!

Anyway, let me know what you guys have to say about this next chapter. R&R because I want to know what you think, I can't improve or make the story something wonderful without the feedback, please let me know!

Till next time!

~Triss

**Why are you Crying? **

Fall was settling on the world, the leaves were turning to colors of golds and auburns, soon the world would go to sleep and the world would be coated in the winter that was to come. Wendy had decided to take the rare opportunities that she was free to walk along the cobblestone and walk to the park with another novel in hand.

Nana walked along side her, keeping an ever-watchful eye over her charge. A nurse's work was never done as far as the St. Bernard was concern. The bonnet hat had been long retired but the blue ribbon tied along her neck was still there, shinning as bright as it ever had been.

"What do you say Nana, feel like having a small picnic on the grass?" The dog gave a small wuff in response as she settled down in the sun while Wendy picked a spot in the shade that still had leaves that clung to its branches.

This time it the novel was _Through the Looking Glass _the sequel to the classic _Alice in Wonderland, _and unlike Wendy, Alice was able to return to the land that she had once been. The place that she had loved so dearly she was able to see again even though it had changed since the last time that she had seen it. And Wendy couldn't help but wonder, had Neverland changed as well? Or was it the same as it had been since she had last been there, the one that was still a place of wonder and all the seasons that came together in one day. Was the hollow of the fairies still there, was the pirate ship still there after all this time?

Her dreams brought her back to that night, after their first battle with the pirates and the glorious feat of a winner's battle still alive in their hearts. Wendy remembered the night that Peter and her had snuck off into the woods to watch the dance of the King and Queen of the fairy folk. The glow from each fairy cast a soft light on Peter that night, one that made his smile a bit more gentle from the one that was always filled with mischief; she recalled sneaking glances at him in the light, watching as his eyes were entranced by something in front of him. The tune still played in her head and the dance slowly began to take shape. But it wasn't the one that the small couple had; it was the one she had in the sky.

Peter had stood before her, a clumsy form of a gentleman that asked a lady to dance with him. His hands were warm against her touch, and as gently as possible with only a few steps on the ground flew up into the sky. Neither had known many steps, their dance like any child's where they spun in circles, spinning her separately before pulling her back. At one point, though Wendy could never remember when, the fairies had begun to join them, dancing around them like living lanterns. It was a perfect moment, when the stars shown and the moon was so close the girl had felt that she had only needed to brush her hand out and she would be able to touch it. It was a night that she would never forget; the one where everything would be so utterly perfect and at the same time it was so dreadful all at the same time because that night was when they had both begun to realize that one had already begun to grow up without knowing it. That person did not fit into the world that was Neverland no matter how much they both wanted it. The young boy had been confused, the questions of feelings that he had long ago buried deep inside himself and the girl who was failing to do so when the emotions were coming in as confusing tidal waves. Like any child when confused and conflicted by the unknown there is only one option when there is no one there to guide their hand, to avoid them.

A lifetime ago, a childhood that had long ago tucked itself inside of her. Wendy remembered that night, dancing in the air with a warm hand to guide hers and she thought that perhaps she could have these feelings; maybe it wasn't so bad to grow up. As long she had the boy who filled her stories with life.

"It's only make believe right?" He had said, there was worry in his eyes, a place with unknown territory. Those words hurt, they had entered a place she didn't know existed, a place perhaps that only came when you grew up. All these feelings, the questions and confusion surely she wasn't the only that was feeling all of this. There must be something because this boy in front of her was not the one from her stories, the conceited magnificent boy who only dreamed of sword fights and danger.

She hadn't meant for the question to come out, hadn't meant to spoil the night with thoughts that did not belong in Neverland. She asked him about love.

"Love? I have never heard of it." He said it, but there was a caution in his eyes.

"I think you have Peter. I daresay you've felt it yourself. For something or… _someone._" Please let her feelings reach him.

He leaned in close, warmth of breath and the smell of pine, "Never, even the sound of it offends me."

"Peter—" Her hand reached out, wanting to feel the warmth of flying only moments ago. Hoping that it was still there. But he pulled back, as if the very thought of her hand was dangerous, the world in which he ran away from.

"Why do you spoil everything? We have fun don't we? I taught you to fly and to fight. What more can there be?" His eyes shown betrayal and of a frightened animal.

"There is so much more." Wendy wanted so desperately for him to understand. But he couldn't

"What? What else is there?" He demanded it of her.

But she couldn't because she could barely managed to grasp at the understanding herself. "I don't know. I think it becomes clearer when you grow up."

They were not the words that sound have been said, the one thing that truly made Peter Pan afraid, the one thing that haunted a boy with such a carefree world. The anger on his face grew, "I will not grow up! You cannot make me, I will banish you like Tink!"

"I will not be banished!" She shouted back.

"Then go home! Go home and grow up and take your feelings with you!"

For the first time Wendy had thought that perhaps it was better to grow up, for it seemed that grown ups were much better at understanding the words and feelings that were pressing against her chest, the ones that were keeping her friendship with Peter from being simple as they should be as children. Even if that were not true, they were much better at hiding that pain inside of them while Wendy felt that she had been drowning in it all.

Her thoughts and memories disappeared and all that was left were some forgotten tears that had fallen carelessly on the book left alone on her lap. Growing up had been the right choice; there were people that she would have missed if she had stayed away in a world that was only seen in dreams.

Dreams… they were also something that stayed with her. Even when she had left the nursery and had her own room, there were still dreams. When she was a young girl sword fighting with villainous pirates and exploring long forgotten caves. There had been adventures that she would have never dreamed up on her own, they had been real once and now they were only dreams.

What am I to do? Wendy's fingers curled absently in Nana's fur looking for that childish comfort she still afforded herself because as a grown up you couldn't simply curl up in your mother's lap as you once did, the point was to learn how to bare the weight of your troubles yourself so that one day you could also bare the problems and share them with someone else such as a husband and child.

Yet even with these strong and resounding thoughts the girl could not stop her tears from pooling under her chin to drip down like rain into her lap. It was not becoming and yet at that moment Wendy didn't care how others around her might think she a silly creature for crying on the ground in public.

"Girl, why are you crying?"

Wendy yelped, stumbling forward away from the voice. Nana barked, unnerved and sore at being awoken from her afternoon nap. The girl spun around, trying to compose herself in front of the stranger, a young man at that.

But when her eyes cast themselves by the tree she knew immediately that this youth was not a typical young gentleman. For one he was sitting in the tree, bare feet dangling off of the branch. He gazed down at her, a half eaten apple forgotten in his hand.

"Excuse me?" She managed to stutter.

The young man laughed, green eyes lighting with amusement, he lowered his head, a chance to get a better look at her. "I asked: Why are you crying?" He eyed the book that was now discarded in the grass. "Was the book that sad?"

Wendy slowly picked up the book, "No, it was not sad at all."

"Then why cry?"

"Because I was remembering something that was very sad," She said.

The boy thought for a moment, paused a removed a leaf from his curly blonde hair, he studied it as if it was a delicate work of art, "Perhaps you can fix the problem? If it makes you so sad then why not try and sole it then?"

Why was this boy so persistent with his questions? Wendy's brow furrowed, "There are things that cannot be fixed no matter how much you truly wish them to be. The past can't always be fixed."

The young man threw the apple over his shoulder and jumped down, "That I do not believe. If you wish it then anything can be fixed."

At that moment Wendy wondered how such an insignificant sentence could make her heart race with anger, her temper flaring, "Wishing does not always do what you ask. Sometimes there are things that you can't have!" She snapped.

Now he frowned, her words had upset him this time; "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Excuse me?" Wendy demanded.

The young man walked forward, pushing his face at a distant that no gentleman should ever step in the presence of a young lady. His breath tickled against her skin. "You sound like an old woman that gave up on life. This is not how you should sound."

"Well then how should it be?"

"Someone as young as you should not be concerned with rules that keep you from having fun."

Wendy felt something in her stomach, the fear of someone finding out where she left a part of herself. "There is a difference between fun and responsibility. There are times for fun and…" She couldn't finish the sentence because she couldn't admit that those times of laughter and of ear-to-ear smiles were becoming fewer and fewer as she grew older.

"But you can be taught again. Once you know it you can't completely forget it. It's like learning to fly."

Learning to fly?

"I haven't been—Nothing can last forever."

The young man shrugged, "Then I shall teach you." He bowed, in a mocking gesture and took his leave. "Wendy I will teach how to fly."

And then he left her, without ever having introduced himself. But the words were on her tongue in a question. How could he have known her name without knowing the adventures that they had once played?

"Peter?"


End file.
